The present invention is generally related to the emergency warning system arts and, in particular, to a system and method to warn a motorist of an approaching train or locomotive. The system described is also useful to warn motorists of an approaching or nearby ambulance, fire truck or police vehicle.
As is known in the art, the number of railway crossing collisions, fatalities and injuries annually in the United States is quite startling.
Based upon an NBC News study for 1999, there are 160,000 public highway and rail intersections in the U.S. Of this number, 60 percent or over 96,000 lack warning gates and lights. There were over 3400 train-vehicle collisions in 1999 which resulted in 399 deaths and 1,360 persons injured.
As is also known in the art, the number of collisions between vehicles and ambulances, fire trucks and police cars is also very high and results in many deaths and injuries annually.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to set forth an efficient on-board warning system to alert a vehicle driver of a potentially dangerous condition such as the approach of a train, locomotive or emergency vehicle.
It is also an object of the invention to demonstrate a warning system for the above purposes which may be economically mass-produced and installed for widespread commercial appeal.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art from the description which follows.